Baltika's record attendance in 18,000 - when 12,000 Zenit fans descended into Kalingrad

“Hulk was in the Zenit side and is easily the best player to have been in this stadium.

“For some reason we are great rivals, even though we very rarely play them.

“When they beat us in the cup there was a pitch invasion.

“It’s a passionate game, even though there is no logic to the rivalry.”

Football can throw up some remarkable stories and this is one of them. Baltika were the only realistic candidate to move into the Kaliningrad Stadium after its final World Cup game, England-Belgium, on June 28.

It is another magnificent build, rising from swampland when work started in 2015.

They are close to completion, with the grass ready to be laid before Baltik play the first of three safety matches against Rotor Volgograd in March.